Blog - Soiree Floral

Wrap It Up Pretty

December 14, 2011

This time of year has everyone scurrying around buying last minute gifts, baking holiday cookies, and trimming the tree. I personally do not find any fun in having to wrap packages (I have magical elves to help with that). I do, however, LOVE decorating the packages. Getting them all dressed up and under the tree is always a great sense of accomplishment. I love seeing the expressions on family and friend’s faces when they see that pretty little package is for them.

I’m a big believer in reusing things, or giving things a new purpose. Here are a few fun tricks you can use to dress up your packages and gifts. And I’m willing to bet you probably already have a lot of these things in your home. You just have to go open that drawer that becomes the ‘catch all’ for things you don’t know what to do with, or your crafty corner. Be creative!

First up, cheese cloth and felt. Cheesecloth is great because it has amazing texture, and you can layer it as many times as you like. This is a quick, easy way to wrap. Top it off with a felt snowflake and some leftover yarn and you are all set!

Felt is great this time of year because it reminds me of wool sweaters. Here, colored felt makes a great adornment on some snazzy wrapping paper. You can be ‘matchy matchy’, or for that modern minimalist you know, choose a bright color for a modern look.

Brown paper bags – we all have these in our homes (maybe not as much as we used to with the invention of recyclable bags). Cut them up, turn them inside out so you have that nice, brown craft paper look. You can do a million things with this one. Break out the rubber stamps and inkpads, let kids decorate this with markers. I took a fluffy, delicate yarn that has a little silver ‘tinsel’ in it (totally reminded me of soft knitted mittens) and wrapped the package in a haphazard kind of way. The less symetrical you are, the better. Great packaging for a masculine gift. Add paper rosettes with glittery centers and this is easily transformed to something more feminine.

Paper punches are a great way to make use of extra craft or scrap papers hanging around. These are especially great for smaller gifts.

Holiday ornaments – we all have those little stragglers that pop up from time to time. Usually from changing the colors of the decorations on the tree. What better use than to add them to the top of a gift!

Have fun decorating your packages this year!

Winter Wedding Inspirations

December 7, 2011

The weather is finally starting to feel like December here in CT. The leaves are gone, holiday tree stands are popping up everywhere, and houses are decked out in pine garlands and holiday lights. Since this is the height of engagement season we thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite things for a winter wedding.

First up, stationery – this is the first thing your guests see when you announce the big day. Why not go all out with a beautiful, letter-pressed stationery suite in a heavy white cardstock with silver writing. Snowflakes are timeless, and this look will definitely stand the test of time. This was created by the lovely and oh so talented ladies of East Six.

Clients are always asking me for unique ideas for favors or take-away items for their guests. I have a lot of opinions on this (we’ll save that for another post) – and the one thing I always say is if you are going to do something, make it unique and special. These little sweaters fit the bill perfectly. They make a fabulous display for escort cards (they could be displayed in faux snow or ice for a show stopper) and even better – they double as a holiday ornament your guests can hang on a tree. Every year when they pull this out to put on their tree, they’ll think of all the fun they had sharing in your special day.
These lovelies were created especially for Soiree Floral by Made and Created.

A cake is a great place to continue a wintry look and feel during your reception. Adding a hint of glimmer and a snowflake are the perfect touch to keep things chic and not kitschy. This gorgeous creation was made by Jodi’s Cakes.

Often times, when you think holiday, people automatically think red and green. We say go chic and use metallics. Here, we used a color palette of icy white, silver, metallic grey and navy. It’s classy, and could be used throughout the winter season (it makes a great color scheme for a New Years wedding too!). Here, we tucked holiday ornaments in and around the table. Their matte and shiny surfaces add depth and texture to the table. Rentals by Placesetters.

If you really want to go the extra mile, we say have fun and dress up your chairs! How great are these faux fur chair covers by Wildflower Linens? This can be costly, so one option would be to dress the chairs at the head table.

We’ll be posting more inspirations and ideas in the coming weeks. Be sure to check back!

A Fall Inspired Wedding at The Summer House

November 22, 2011

Since it is the week of Thanksgiving we thought this wedding was perfect to showcase with all of it’s autumnal colors. Our bride Mary is a planner in Boston so she was armed with images, photos, and great ideas for her big day. She had several friends come with her to our first meeting to talk about linens. Because Mary is a planner and has ‘seen it all’ she really wanted something different. Rather than the regular sit down dinner, she wanted more of a party feel with tables of different sizes and shapes so people could mingle as the night went on. She and I helped convince her friends that three linen selections for the reception along with a completely different color scheme for the cocktail hour would keep things lively and interesting.

The ceremony was on the beach and we wanted to keep it simple with a trellis as the ‘x’ marks the spot and the beautiful ocean backdrop taking center stage.

The cocktail hour took place around pool area and was done using reversible linens in aqua and gold. We used white and blush flowers for cocktail centerpieces. Guests had fun playing cornhole and ping pong as the afternoon gave way to dinner.

The reception was held under a clear top tent so guests could see the stars at night. I have to say, the day started out cloudy and it was HOT inside that tent while we were constructing the overhead flower canopy. I was happy we had tropical flowers in there that could stand the heat. Luckily, the clouds gave way to a gorgeous evening and the stars appeared as if on cue.

We used three complimentary linens on the tables with eclectic tablescapes throughout the tent. The mix of tables helped break up the space and created and intimate feeling. This soiree was full of vibrant colors and textures and the guests danced the night away.